Life-preserving garment.



a BI R E I.- M R E T s o W 0 6 5 6 6 LIFE rnesenvms GARMENT.

(Application m In. so, 1900.

2 SheetsSheet I.

(No Mode'l.)

THE NORRIS PETERS CQ, PHOTDJJYRQ, WASHINGTON D. C.

m H n a I. d B t n .w a P R E Y E M vR E T s o W 0 6 2 5 6 6 0 N LIFE PBESERVING GARMENT.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

\VI'LLIAM OSTERMEYER, OF ST. LOUIS; MISSOURI.

LlFE-PRESERVING GARMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,260, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed January 30, 1900. Serial No. 3,288. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM'OSTERMEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preserving Waists, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a life-preserving waist designed to be worn under the clothing by a person during a voyage or travel on water, the device being of light weight and being so constructed that normally it may lie compactly to the wearers body,whereas when there is need for the use of the waist the distensible bulbs contained thereby may be distended by forcing air thereinto to render the waist buoyant to an extent that will enable it to sustain the weight of the wearer and prevent the wearer from sinking in the water.

Myinvention consistsin features of novelty hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure I is a front perspective view of my life-preserving waist. Fig. II is an exterior View of the waist in open position. Fig. III is an enlarged detail view of one of the lower front corners of the waist with the facing thereof shown partly broken away and showing one of the distensible bulbs and connecting-tubes located therein. FiglV is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line IV IV, Fig. II. Fig. V is a perspective view of one of the T-couplings by which the distensible bulbs and air-conducting tubes are joined. Fig. VI is a perspective view of one of the mouthpieces applied to the airconveying tubes.

The body of the waist is composed of two sections 1,similar to a corset,joined by elasticweb strips 2 at the back of the waist, each section being provided with an armhole 3 and having shoulder-straps 4- The front edges of the sections are equipped with books and eyes 5 and 6. At the lower edge of the waist is a series of loops 7, that receivea belt 8,by which the waist may be securely strapped to the wearers body at the waist to prevent it from creeping upwardly on the body in the sustaining action of the waist. The sections 1 are each composed of separated facings 1,

of cloth, rubber, or other suitable material, providing four individual pockets 9 between the two facings, (see Fig. IV,) two chambers being located in each section. At the lower edge of each section is a reinforcing-facing 10, thatis stitched to the section to strengthen it at the edge mentioned. Within the lower edge of each section are pockets ll.

12 designates bulbs located in the pockets 9, between the facings 1 and 1, in which there is sufficient space to permit the bulbs to be distended to their greatest extent. The bulbs 12 may be of rubber, bladder, or other desirable impervious material that will retain air andis waterproof. Located in the pockets 11 are air-conducting tubes 13. These tubes are joined to the bulbs 12 by T-couplings 14, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. V. The air-conducting tubes 13 are connected together in common and lead to the series of distensible bulbs 12, so that the conveyance of air may be accomplished to all of the bulbs in like manner and uniformly. The air-conducting tubes 13 lead upwardly through the waist-sections at the front edges of each section, as seen in Fig. I, and at their ends are provided with mouthpieces 15, containing suitable check-valves.

When the wearer has occasion for the use of the life-preserving waist, as in a shipwreck at sea, all that is necessary for the wearer to do is to place the mouthpieces 15in his mouth and by blowing therethrough the series of distensible bulbs are distended within the individual pockets 9, the check-valves within the mouthpieces retaining the air from exit from the conductingtubes. When the airreceiving bulbs have been inflated, the waist is in condition for use as a life-preserver and will effectually sustain the weight of the wearer while in the water.

16 designates a clip secured to one of the mouthpieces and provided with a pair of clam ping-jaws 17, adapted to receive the other mouthpiece, thereby holding the two monthpieces in close proximity to each other, so that they may be u pheld together and be conveniently arranged and located for insertion into the mouth.

'A life-preserving waist constructed in accordance with my invention is of very light and compact form and may be worn by the pocket and series of loops at the lower edge of the section, the distensible bulbs located in the individual bulb-pockets, an air-conducting tube located in the horizontal pocket, and extending up at the front edge of the sections, and T-couplings connecting the airconducting tubes with the distensible bulbs, and a valved mouthpiece connected with the air-conducting tube.

WILLIAM OSTERMEYER. In presence of- S. KNIGHT, M. P. SMITH. 

